The willow maiden
by Tyler Patterson
Summary: Corey J. Riffin is a hunter who stumbles upon a red headed fairy. He immediately befriends this stubborn tree fairy and becomes her best friend. But wen he falls inlove with her and she refuses him, what will happen? Even though she loves him deeply, she can't leave the forest. Not the best summary, but a good story. READ IT! Please.
1. Chapter 1

This is a story of love and loss. I love the songs. They gave me the inspiration for this story. Hope you enjoy! Please comment and review.

A young man walked through the forest, with his quiver and hunting bow. His name was Corey J. Riffin, he lived on the outside of town, alone. A forest covered a mile from his home. No one in town dared to go in that forest because of how deep and dark it was. It was said to be haunted by spirits. Hunters all alike who have gone into the forest to hunt hear songs of woe. Some even say they are cursed with bad luck. But Corey never believed in such things.

He remebered that when he was little, his mother used to tell him that it wasn't the voices of the haunting, but the voices of fairies and good spirits of earth. He was never afraid of the forest, and often went hunting in it and sold his catch in town. He'd occasionally heard hums ever once in awhile, but no words really. He found the noise soothing while he hunted. The songs never disturbed the animals either.

As he walked through the forest, ready to use his bow on a deer, he noticed there wasn't much animals around. He went deeper and deeper into the forest, soon he was unfamiliar with the surroundings. He looked around, and the nature looked more vibrant and alive. He heard a young girl singing, and thought it was beautiful. Corey followed the sound below. He walked through bushes and trees, until he found the maiden. She lived in an old willow tree.

He thought 'Not only is her song beautiful, but so is she...' So he took steps forward and he called out to her, "Come with me my maiden, come from thy willow bed!"

She listened, from a ring of toadstools that surrounded her tree. They were all a lovely red. She just looked at him serenely and shook her head. "See me now, a ray of light in the moondance. See me now, I cannot leave this place. Hear me now, a strain of song in the forest, don't ask me to follow where you lead." She then began to ignore him, thinking for sure he'd leave this place.

He didn't move inch backward, but instead, he walked closer to the maiden. "Are you a fairy? Or a spirit? But fairies have wings right...?" He questioned.

"You don't head warnings do you?" The girl asked. "I am none other then a fairy. There now, you have your answer, please be on your way." She said as she turned her head once more.

Corey was stubborn. He took a seat on a large toadstool(Mushroom). "Sigh. But maybe a Pixie? You must be a Pixie, there are Pixies without wings."

The girl turned toward him sharpley. "I am a Fairy! There are also fairies without wings! I need no wing, for I am a fairy of the trees." She hissed at him.

"Why must you be cold toward me? I have done nothing wrong, have I?" The hunter asked.

"You needn't do anything wrong. In my own sence, your presence is a sin. You shouldn't be this deep in the forest, hunter." The willow maiden fairy said.

The hunter giggled and starred at her. "I see..." He stood up and turned to leave, "And fairy, you mustn't be so harsh." Then the hunter took his leave.

The Fairy did not look back to him, she just sat in her tree. At night, she recalled the man. He had dark blue hair, and enchanting eyes. His physique was perfect and tanned. She was most surprised at his confidence to speak to her. Corey was thinking of the fairy all night. He remembered her fire red hair, and her big emerald green eyes. Her hair was so long it wrapped around her pale skinned body.

The next day Corey went into the forest once more and listened to hear the song of the fairy. He wandered around for quit some time, until he heard a voice. It was the red headed fairies voice. He found his way to her giant old willow tree. He hid in the bushes, he feared she would stop once she saw him. So he waited for the end of the song. While she sang, a seed was in the ground near her. I began to grow just a little. Corey finally noticed it was going to be a Cornflowers, they're beautiful blue flowers. She was singing to a it, so it would grow.

Wanderer's Lullaby:

"Wandering child of the earth

Do you know just how much you're worth?

You have walked this path since your birth

You were destined for more

There are those who'll tell you you're wrong

They will try to to silence your song

But right here is where you belong

So don't search anymore

You are the dawn of a new day that's waking

A masterpiece still in the making

The blue in an ocean of grey

You are right where you need to be

Poised to inspire and to succeed

You'll look back and you'll realize one day

In your eyes there is doubt

As you try to figure it out

But that's not what life is about

So have faith there's a way

Though the world may try to define you

It can't take the light that's inside you

So don't you dare try to hide

Let your fears fade away

You are the dawn of a new day that's waking

A masterpiece still in the making

The blue in an ocean of grey

You are right where you need to be

Poised to inspire and to succeed

You'll look back and you'll realize one day

You are the dawn of a new day that's waking

A masterpiece still in the making

The blue in an ocean of grey

You are right where you need to be

Poised to inspire and to succeed

Soon you'll finally find your own way..."

The hunter was ready to come out of the bushes, when he paused. He heard her whisper something.

"Mr. Hunter, you reflect this flower, and as such, this song is also yours..."

Corey's eyes widend. She sung a song for him, plus, she could tell alot about him in just one conversation. "I'm thankful, miss fairy." He said as he walked out of the bushes.

She looked at him, "You listend?" She asked.

"It was too beautiful to ignore." He told her.

She as always sat on a branch in her tree. "Man, what is your name?" She asked.

He sat on a toadstool again and looked at her. "My name is Corey J. Riffin. What is your name?" He asked.

She shrugged and looked down to him, "I haven't a name. I was born to mother nature, and was not blessed with such as much as a name. But if you must call me something, I prefer, Alayna. But such a human may only call me Laney." She said.

"Fair enough, how about a last name?" He said.

"P-Penn...?"

"Hmm, I don't mind. It is your choice alone Maiden." He smirked at her.

She smiled, "Alayna Penn... I have a name..." She covered her blushing face with her long soft red hair.

"Laney?" He said while standing up.

"Yes, Corey Riffin?"

"As your friend, may I call on you by the name Lanes?" He asked.

"As my first human friend, you may... Core.." She smiled, and he smiled back with the nickname. He then sat up against the old willow tree.

They began to talk. Corey sat on the ground while braiding the hair that strecthed beside him. She laid on a large branch staring down at him. "Why is your hair such a lovely blue?" She asked.

"Lanes, its not as precious as your vibrant red hair. You are as beautiful as a red rose, possibly even more so..." Corey told her.

"I don't much care for red roses, I love yellow ones... Core..." She said.

He lifted his head to look up at the fairy maiden. "Is that so? What an interesting fairy... Lanes, your one of a kind." Corey told her.

Laney blushed the same color as her hair. "Core, thank you..." She whispered. He looked up and smiled.

The two of them talked for hours and hours. He went home as soon as dark sunk into the forest. He visited Laney daily. They talked for hours each day. On the fourth day he saw Cornflowers bloomed everywhere. "Lanes! Did you grow all of these!? Its amazing!" Corey call to her.

She smiled, knowing she did an amazing job. "Yes, thank you. Core, I've been thinking about it, and your my best friend..." She told him while she sat on the old Willow.

"Lanes, I'm honored. I've been wondering, What other powers do you have? Or just tell me about you today... I'm alway talking about the human village and people, let me hear about you." He asked her, when he sat against the willow tree.

She looked up toward where the sun glissened throught the tree leaves. She watched all the colors dance in her forest and then back to Corey. "I grow the plants of this forest, these flowers are my children. The trees are my brothers and sisters. The sun is my uncle, the moon my aunt. The earth, my mother. I can not only grow plants, but I have the power to see the past, present and future of every plant, animal and insect." She told him while holding a fallen leaf.

Corey stood up, "Can you see my future?"

In surprise to his question, she thought about it, "I must have a bond in order to do so." Then she turned her attention back to the leaf.

"Don't we have a connection? Lanes?" He asked. When she looked back to him, he had a small frown. She felt hurt. "Lanes, come with me? Back to my home, we can become closer!" He said with hope in his tone.

She shook her head, " Core... See me now, a ray of light in the moondance. See me now, I cannot leave this place. Hear me now, a strain of song in the forest, don't ask me to follow where you lead..." She told him.

He remembered her say that once before. "Whats that mean!?" He begged for an answer.

"I cannot leave the forest, or my willow tree, I was never meant to leave. This forest belongs me, I am not as free as you. I along with other fairies and pixies, have a responsibility to this place." She told him.

"Are you saying your not free!? Your a slave to this forest?" He asked in concern.

She avoided his eyes, I was born to this forest. I've been alive for hundreds of years. And I was happy and content with my life as is, I loved this forest more then anything."

"You said, 'was' and 'loved'. those are passed tense. Are you no longer happy?" He asked.

She smiled a little, "I am more happy then I've ever been. Not only with my home, but now, I have a friend, whom I love very much..."

Coreys eyes widend, "Love?" Laney looked down to him.

Laney ignored him. Corey saw the sun setting and he took his leave of the forest. Laney looked, and he was gone. She cried to herself that night, she was heartbroken and never wanted to leave the forest, until he came. Now she is uncertain of her feelings.

The next day he came with a hand behind his back. "What is that?" She asked.

He pulled a Yellow Rose out from behind his back and Laney blushed. Corey got on one knee. "Your alway wrapped with beauty, such as a young beauty. Girl, my heart you've captured, oh I will be your groom." He proposed.

She refused the rose just then, "I will wed you never..." She told him.

"W-Why!?" He asked.

She only looked serenely at him, "You were right, we have a bond. I've seen the past, present and future of your love. I wrote it into a song, please sit and listen..."

"Y-yeah, ok..." Corey sat down on a toadstool and waited for her to sing.

Laney sat up against the tree and began her song.

"The Willow Maid" by Erutan

(YOU HAVE TO WATCH THE MUSICE VIDEO! with the yellow rose...)

"A young man walked through the forest, with his quiver and hunting bow.

He heard a young girl singing, and followed the sound below.

There he found the maiden, who lives in the willow.

He called to her as she listened, from a ring of toadstools red.

'Come with me my maiden, come from thy willow bed'She looked at him serenely and only shook her head.

'See me now, a ray of light in the moondance. See me now, I cannot leave this place. Hear me now, a strain of song in the forest. Don't ask me, to follow where you lead.

A young man walked through the forest, with a flower and coat of green.

His love had hair like fire, her eyes an emerald sheen. She wrapped herself in beauty, so young and so serene.

He stood there under the willow, and he gave her the yellow bloom. 'Girl my heart you've captured, oh I would be your groom.'

She said she'd wed him never, not near, nor far, nor soon

A young man walked through the forest, with an axe sharp as a knife.

I'll take the green-eyed fairy, and she shall be my wife. With her I'll raise my children, with her I'll live my life.

The maiden wept when she heard him, when he said he'd set her free. He took his axe and used it, to bring down her ancient tree. 'Now your willow's fallen, now you belong to me.'

She followed him out the forest, and collapsed upon the earth.

her feet had walked but a distance, from the green land of her birth.

She faded into a flower, that would bloom for one bright eve. He could not take from the forest, what was never meant to leave."

Corey was shocked at what he heard. He ran out of the forest, in fear, he'd hurt the one he loved so dearly. The fairy then began to weep.

For the next few weeks, the forest weeped. Scaring all the villagers. Corey, had not gone back to the forest, he was scared, he'd break, and end up trying to set her free. He stayed home, alone...

Laney wept to herself, cursing herself as well for letting him get so close to her.

What will happen to the poor fairy and hunter now...? Will he get old and die alone? Will the fairy live for another thousand year? Or will she die of heart break and turn into a flower? What do you think?


	2. Chapter 2

Corey sat in his home thinking about the fairy with hair so bright. Even if their time together was short, they'd shared so many memories. He was there when she got a name, he was there when she wrote a song for him, he was there for her and she for him. They laughed together and enjoyed every moment they had.

It has been two months since he was in the forest, he could still hear the song in his head. The haunting lyrics that scared him. He couldn't believe that he might end up killing her. Corey knew that she had to stay in the forest, in the trees, but it hurt to think that she wasn't free. He grew weary from the passing days, as his depression over come him.

Corey tried to get his mind off Laney by working in the village, but the villagers always talked about how gloomy the woods had become. Now he sat in his home, humming to himself. Singing of his loneliness.

Deep in the forest, a maiden fairy sat in a willow tree. She wept. The Cornflowers and all that was green around her were drooping. They were not filled with liveliness. She laid on a branch in the tree stairing at the ground bellow her. Everytime a tear fell and hit the soil a small precious flower would bloom. But it'd soon droop like every other.

Laney's hair wrapped around her and she began to hate her hair. She hated it because he loved it. She could not deny that she loved the man so much more then she'd thought, but she knew they couldn't be together. He had ran off, he had never returned to her, for two months. Laney's sadness turned to anger.

She sat up from the branch and looked around. For the first time in two months, she noticed how miserable her forest looked. And how every tune or song was sad. She was donw weeping. Laney knew, Corey wouldn't come back for her.

She started to sing to her plants, animals and insects. She wanted them to know that she was alright, and that a mere human couldn't take the beauty of her forest. Suddenly it started to rain. The drips hit the leaves with such elagance. The forest was alive, and you could hear it.

Laney stood up. "My forest is not dead, yet." She forced a smile, "I don't need a man to feel happy, I have my beautiful home." Fairys, pixies even a few spirits gathered. Laney was going to sing then goodnight and the sun set.

Fairys nightsong:

"Dancing a spiral we sing unaware  
On fairy night wings our songs fill the air  
Making a circle of magic and light  
Watched silently by the Fey of the night

Our hearts full of love and our arms open wide  
We hold the key to the fairies delight  
Song in our hearts belong in the air  
The words of our wisdom we bring forth to share

The songs in the night  
As we dance 'round the flame  
The Fairy Nightsongs are never the same  
The words from our lips as we sing for the night  
Impart to the Fey our hearts truest sight

Sounds of the forest in sweet harmony  
We give the gift of our song to the fairy  
Dancing a spiral we sing unaware  
The fairy night wings our song fill the air

The songs in the night  
As we dance 'round the flame  
The Fairy Nightsongs are never the same  
The words from our lips as we sing for the night  
Impart to the Fey our hearts truest sight

Ahh...

Dancing a spiral we sing unaware  
On fairy night wings our songs fill the air  
Making a circle of magic and light  
Watched silently by the Fey of the night

The songs in the night  
As we dance 'round the flame  
The Fairy Nightsongs are never the same  
The words from our lips as we sing for the night  
Impart to the Fey our hearts truest sight

Our hearts full of love and our arms open wide  
We hold the key to the fairies delight  
Song in our hearts belong in the air  
The words of our wisdom we bring forth to share

The songs in the night  
As we dance 'round the flame  
The Fairy Nightsongs are never the same  
The words from our lips as we sing for the night  
Impart to the Fey our hearts truest sight

Sounds of the forest in sweet harmony  
We give the gift of our song to the fairy  
Dancing a spiral we sing unaware  
The fairy night wings our song fill the air"

Corey's eyes widened. He heard her voice travel from the forest. He ran out of his house without thinking and ran towards the forest. Normally he or any other human would never go in the woods during night, because you'd get lost. But he wasn't thinking about that, he just wanted to see her singing. He heard them for awhile while he was running deeper into the dark forest, but the song was soon over.

Corey's fears took hold of him, everywhere he looked he could feel someone or something watching him. He had just realized that he was in the forest at night. Corey looked around for a familiar surrounding but alas it was too dark for him to see anything.

He sat against a tree in hopes he'd be fine till morning. Then he heard humming. It was her. "Laney?" He whispered. He stood up and tried to follow the sound, "Lanes!?" He yelled.

(The humming is "Pans labyrinth Lullaby" btw)

Within a minute or two he reach an area that was lit by the moon. He went through the bushes, and saw her. "Alayna..." He said to himself as he watched the fairy stroke her hair.

Laney was in a trance, even though she helped her forest seem the least bit more beautiful, she was still thinking about him. There was a rustle in the bushes. Laney looked towards the sound. "Come out being." She said. She'd expected it to be and animal of pixie. "Hello? Did you not hear me?" She asked.

"I heard you. Loud and clear." Laney knew that voice. Corey stepped out of the bushes.

"Core...?"

Alrighty then, what happens next? Any ideas!?


End file.
